


A Grimm Future

by SetsunaRyn



Category: RWBY
Genre: Dark, Earth, Modern Era, Multi, RWBY au
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-10-25
Updated: 2018-10-25
Packaged: 2019-08-07 07:19:37
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 9
Words: 19,329
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16403840
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/SetsunaRyn/pseuds/SetsunaRyn
Summary: The world is being taken over by a group of enormous companies. The only thing standing in their way is a small group of genetically engineered super soldiers.





	1. Chapter 1

This work was started by Rhett Merrit, and continued by myself.

The first four chapters are his. 

 

 

 

 

 


	2. Red

The sun was low over the mountains, casting the valley below in a dull orange light. The entire area had a stark beauty to it, something that one often couldn’t find in the new and modern world of technology, industry, and machines. Then again, the beautiful green-orange landscape of Chechnya wasn’t exactly stable enough to host the traits of the modern world.  
It was these musings, and many more, that currently sat in the head of Senior Lieutenant Gennadiy Yablonsky  Ilyich, commander of a squad of Spetsgruppa Alpha’s finest; one currently deployed to the aforementioned territory of Chechnya on yet another of many missions to combat Chechnyan separatists. Luckily for Gennadiy and his men, they’d been spared the worst of it. Thanks to a combination of reformed Russian military doctrine pertaining to Chechnya and better technology, the government had been able to largely suppress what had, in all honesty, become a half-hearted movement at best. After a few decades of war, even the best and hardest of guerillas grow tired.  
Roman continued to focus on such things even as he approached his objective, a large Chechnyan rebel camp a few miles outside Chechnya’s capital of Grozny.  
“Command, this is Paslen-Actual. I repeat, this is Paslen-Actual. Approaching objective, requesting orders” Gennadiy said into the mike attached to his helmet.A gruff voice answered, “Affirmative Paslen-Actual. You’re to hold position and act as support for the Vympel unit acting as the main force. Stay out of their way until they give the all clear”Gennadiy clicked his mike twice in the affirmative then switched to the Vympel group’s channel. He’d heard about some new weapon being developed by Moscow; it was supposed to be incredibly dangerous and destructive, that's probably why they’d been told to wait for the all clear.   
“This is Paslen-Actual calling the Vympels. You guys there?” Contrary to what some might think, most Spetsnaz members were very casual towards each other, at least in the field anyway.  
“This is Vympel. Gen, is that you?” Gennadiy recognized the voice as that of his old friend, Maxim Minin Yermolayvich.  
“Max, good to hear from you old friend!”  
“Likewise, Gen! Looks like we got the long end of the stick, eh?” Max laughed, his voice distorted by the radio.  
“Of course, but we do get a view of the fireworks! I hear you have a little present for our Chechnyan friends?”  
“Oh yes! You won’t believe it, better to see for yourself,” A pause. “Alright, time to get this show on the road! Deploy the Krov’ Snegurochka!”Blood Maiden? Gennadiy thought that was an unusual name for some supposed superweapon, but then again it wouldn’t be the first time Russia named their weapons strangely.   
Gennadiy and his men watched in awe as the camp beneath them erupted in flames. He’d seen destruction like this before, but that was always been from things like carpet bombing or missile strikes, never a ground weapon. This is one hell of a weapon, Gennadiy thought as flames and black smoke mixed to create a good representation of hell. The men around him were equally in awe, some even pulling out cameras of various makes and models to capture the view. Roman was pulled out of his awestruck state by Maxim’s voice over the radio.  
“Hey Gen! You’re clear to come down!”  
“Anything left for us?” Gennadiy asked, although he already knew the answer.  
“Haha! Sorry my friend, but our little Snegurochka worked better than expected! Tell you what, I’ll set up some cans for you and your boys! Bwahaha!” Gennadiy just rolled his eyes as he gathered up his men and smacked some back to reality before heading down the tree-covered hill.  
Gennadiy decided that the destruction he’d seen on the hill was just the tip of the iceberg. the camp had been a collection of stone buildings and tents once, but whatever there had been was non-existent now. Maxim’s men were combing the ruins, probably trying to find survivors or any sign of the Chechen equipment; he wouldn’t be surprised if some were looting too. Gennadiy sent his men off on their own assignments before running off to find Maxim. As he searched, he passed a group of Chechens held by Vympels that had somehow survived. Gennadiy actually took pity on them, comparing their simple uniforms to the high-tech equipment of their Russian opponents.“Gen! Over here!” Maxim’s call snapped Gennadiy out of his thoughts.Trudging over to Maxim, he realized that his friend was also standing with someone else, a young girl by the looks of it. She looked no older than fifteen or sixteen and her clothes were, well, strange to say the least. She wore a dark red cloak, attached to her clothes with two silver crosses and her hood drawn over her head. She wore what looked like a corset or something similar. Her skirt had a gothic feel to it, this accompanied by black stockings and standard-issue Russian military combat boots. On her back was some sort of strange red and black rectangular box; Gennadiy had absolutely no idea what it was.  
“Whos this? A survivor? Choice of dress is a little strange” Gennadiy asked Maxim, a look of confusion on his face.  
Maxim answered with a hearty laugh, “No, my friend. You may not believe this, but this little one is our Snegurochka” The girl leapt behind Maxim at the mention of her ‘name’.  
Gennadiy just looked at Maxim. “What?”  
The Vympel commander nudged the girl forward with his leg, “Come on, little one. Introduce yourself”The girl, clearly nervous beyond belief, slowly edged forwards and removed her hood. Gennadiy was surprised, to say the least. The girl had big silver eyes and black hair with dark red tips; she didn’t really look Russian or even Eastern European either.  
“H...hello. M...my na...na...name is R...Rubi R...Roz.”


	3. White

Winter had come to Berlin, soft and fluffy snow blanketing the old city. The white powder accentuated the building’s of Germany’s capital, clean modern buildings proclaiming the nation’s mastery as Europe’s economical and technological powerhouse; a title few could dispute. Citizens went about their day, some preparing for upcoming Christmas festivities while others simply enjoyed the sights. Amid all the hustle and bustle, a rather innocuous and non-descript drove through the city towards it’s destination. Not many would give such a vehicle a second look were it not for the now well-known and recognizable plates of Germany’s Ministry of Defence.  
  


Two men rode in the car as it edged along the city’s main thoroughfare. One, the driver, carried the attire of the Ministry of Defence while the other, the passenger, sported the uniform of the German Armed Forces. To outsiders, such a pairing would not be at all unusual; however, to the passenger, one Captain Maik Walch, this was far from usual.

“So, mind telling me where we’re going?” Walch asked, both verbally and visibly irritated. He’d been dragged from his post and shoved in a staff car with virtually no explanation aside from being told it was important. Maik had made his displeasure known numerous times over the course of the trip and this inquiry was just one more insistence. 

The driver looked over to him, sunglasses covering what was obviously a glare much to Maik’s pleasure; he knew he might finally get somewhere.

“Tempelhof” the man sighed, focusing his attention back on the road. Now that hadn’t been what Maik was expecting. Tempelhof was Berlin’s old abandoned airport, only really known for the Berlin Airlift.Otherwise, the place held no importance. So why did Maik feel so apprehensive about their destination?

The staff car rolled along the remnants of the old airport’s runway, crushing a multitude of flora beneath it’s tires. The area was dulled in colour, courtesy of a overcast sky and the threat of rain on the horizon; this didn’t bother Maik much, he’d loved playing in the rain while growing up in his native Stuttgart. The car rolled into the farthest hanger, surprisingly well-kept for such an old building. The car was met by several hard-looking men holding MP-7s and wearing suits; Maik assumed they belonged to the ministry or one of the government’s intelligence services. One man walked ahead of the rest, presumably the leader.The man walked up to Maik, sharing the same expressionless face as his comrades and extended his hand; Maik happened to notice that his gun was angled slightly in his direction, probably in case he didn’t check out.

“Papers, please” the man said, his voice monotone. Withdrawing his standard military ID, Maik also handed over his civilian credentials as well just in case; these were waved off however. The man studied the documents for what seemed like an eternity before handing them back and thumbing towards a small office in the corner, guarded by two more suits.

 

“Come with me” the leader said, escorting Maik towards the small area.

The elevator slowly descended, much to Maik’s confusion. To his knowledge, Tempelhof had no underground level so where was the elevator going? He soon got his answer in the form of a sight that made his jaw drop.

“Holy shit” he mumbled under his breath. The complex was massive, though to some that might have been an understatement. The area was filled with all sorts of high-tech machinery and scientists mulling about, doing God knows what. As the lift touched down, Maik was waved out by one of the suits. Only one accompanied him however, as all the others rode the elevator back up. The man wordlessly ordered Maik to follow him, both bobbing and weaving through the organized chaos that was the research base. Eventually, he was led to a rather sparse office, in which sat an older-looking man. His surprising silver hair was well-kept, accentuated by his icy blue eyes. He had an intimidating air around him; Maik wouldn’t have been surprised if the man had a military background.

“Sir” the suit announced, receiving a simple glance and hand wave in response. The guard left, leaving Maik in a rather awkward position. The inaction on part of the older man was an intimidation tactic Maik knew well, having been on both ends of the technique in the past.

“You are Captain Maik Walch of the 232nd Mountain Infantry Battalion, 23rd Mountain Brigade, 10th Armored Division, are you not?” Maik was surprised by how specific the man was, if only for the fact that he hadn’t seen the man with any sort of papers or files even on approach. The captain simply nodded, deciding it probably wasn’t the best time to speak.

“I am Director Jacques Schnee, the commander of this facility” the man said matter-of-factly. With the identity of the man revealed, Maik answered the nagging sense of familiarity he’d gotten when he’d first laid eyes on the man. Jacques Schnee was a legend in both German political and military circles. An old-school aristocrat, Schnee was at the head of several large and powerful companies; the influence gained from such a standing allowed him to be appointed Germany’s Minister Of Defence. From there, he’d made moves to modernize, expand, and elevate the military. It was well-known that Schnee was at the head of a group of old world traditionalists who still valued the old Imperial German views of iron and might. While not necessarily sharing some of the more radical views of some of his compatriots, Schee still shared such values. As a result, the German Army, Navy, and Air Force was one of, if not the best, military force on Continental Europe; many knew the nation could blitz most of the continent if it so desired. 

“I know who you are, sir. Every military soul is eternally grateful for what you’ve done” Maik said, offering the man a stiff salute, which to his relief was reciprocated.

“I’m sure you’re wondering why you’re here. Come, I’ll show you” Jacques beckoned. Maik quickly followed, eager to see what lay in store. 

Jacques led Maik through the massive underground facility, occasionally stopping to inspect one scientist’s work or another. Maik’s respect for the white-haired director continued to grow. The man exuded an aura of intimidation and invincibility, yet he still took time to check in and look out for his subordinates despite his status. No wonder Jacques Schnee was so respected by the military.  

“Sir, if I may ask?”

“You may”

“Where are we going? This facility is massive” Maik had slowly become even more enamored with the complex as they’d continued. He simply couldn’t wrap his head around the fact that such a massive facility existed underneath an abandoned airport.

“We’re almost there, not too far” the director said, a slight hint of amusement at the experienced soldier’s child-like wonder evident in his voice.

Sure enough, the two men reached a pair of large double doors. Jacques entered a code into a keypad beside them and performed a retinal scan, the doors answering his actions with a curt beep and a hiss as the doors slid open, Jacques ushering Maik in. The room appeared to be a viewing area, with a raised platform filled with seats on one side and a massive floor-to-ceiling viewing window on the other.  Maik joined Director Schnee at the window, which overlooked some sort of arena; a second set of windows sat on the opposite side, likely a control room or something similar. The soldier had seen plenty of setups like these (although not as massive, of course); he wouldn’t be surprised if it was a test range of some sort.

“Tell me Captain, have you ever heard of Project Beacon?” asked Schnee, snapping Maik out of his observations. He frowned and shook his head.

“No sir, I can’t say I have”

Jacques sighed. “I thought not. I had worries that word of it would leak outside the Ministry but it appears my worries are unfounded. Nevertheless, what I am about to tell you will not leave this room. Am I clear, Captain Walch?” The older man’s voice took on a hard edge; given who he was dealing with and the rumours surrounding the man, Maik didn’t have to think hard about what would happen if he let anything out.

“Crystal, sir” the captain said, hoping the director found his answer genuine. Schnee looked hard at Maik’s face before simply nodding and clearing his throat.

 

“I’m sure you’ve noticed, Captain, that this isn’t the world our forefathers grew up in. Conflict is flaring up around the world, and the corporations that almost completely control the latter are all too happy to fan the flames if it means turning a profit and expanding their control even by just a fraction. It doesn’t help matters much that one of the CEOs of said companies now sits at the helm of one of the world’s most militarily advanced nations” Maik nodded, remembering that day well, when the CEO of the world’s largest arms corporation, Atlesian Industries, became President of the United States. 

“It is difficult  nowadays to find allies when everyone has an agenda. Nevertheless, we must take it where we can get it” Jacques explained, walking over to a platter laden with wine and glasses. Pouring a glass for both himself and Maik, the director took a sip before he continued.

“We have managed to enter an alliance with the Russians and Chinese in order to counteract the corporations and their activities. They are some of the last few nations that the corporations don’t have any overall influence over, not to mention that they are two of the strongest. I realize that Germany isn’t on the greatest terms with the Russian Federation but sometimes sacrifices must be made” Jacques finished as he moved towards a small intercom beside the window.

“Professor, please start test preparations” the man said before moving back towards Maik.

“When we allied with Russia and China, the treaty included a shared co-operation on special projects. At the time, the Russian had one going concerning the mineral we now know as Dust. I’m sure you’re familiar with that?” Maik would be lying if he said he didn’t; everyone and anyone knew about Dust. No one really knew where the mineral had come from naturally; deposits of it had been found during a joint Peruvian-Russian mining expedition in the Andes. It had been tested in labs located in both countries and what had been found in the results was nothing short of astounding. Dust held near limitless power, with scientists and engineers predicting that a single reactor running on the substance could power a city the size of Los Angeles for decades, if not centuries. From there, the uses Dust could have expanded quickly. While using Dust in the ways predicted would take years given the world’s dependence on other, more conventional resources, many people could see that Dust would soon solve many of humanity’s problems when it came to things like energy and even environmental pollution.

“Of course, sir. But what were the Russians using it for? The only places I know of that it's been found in large quantities is Peru and deep under the Arctic” Maik had a feeling that this wasn’t going to be a upbeat conversation.

“Dust has plenty of applications but, given human nature, it didn’t take long for humans to try and weaponize it. That is what the Russians were trying to do. This may sound cliche, but Moscow was trying their hardest to create supersoldiers, of all things” Wait for it. “With a little help from the Chinese, they succeeded,” There we go. “Although, to my knowledge at least, they went through several test subjects before they got the formula right. I’ve been told that they’ve already deployed their new weapon in Chechnya to great effect. However, they are not the only ones with similar projects” Maik knew what Schnee meant by that.

“I’m assuming that both us and the Chinese are running similar projects as well, sir?” Maik asked, already knowing the answer. All he was trying to understand now was why he was here.

“You are correct in that assumption. However, we have also heard rumours that the corporations are running a similar program as well. Given the resources at their disposal, this is almost a certainty. As such, our three nations have chosen to escalate our programs. While my Russian and Chinese counterparts don’t necessarily share my views, I believe that we may soon be going to war, Captain. We need to prepare for every eventuality, including the deployment of enhanced soldiers by our enemies. It will only be a matter of time” Maik tried to take the implication of what Director Schnee was implying. Supersoldiers? Nations going to war with corporations? This seemed like something out of a sci-fi movie, not reality.

“Sir, why am I here? It doesn’t exactly sound like you need a soldier like me” Maik asked, his tone a little more demanding than he would have liked to admit. To him, this all seemed completely ridiculous. He wanted answers before anything else. 

To the captain’s surprise, Schnee simply chuckled at the man’s outburst; something Maik wasn’t expecting. “Captain, I’m sure you realize that we can’t just invade every country playing host to our enemies or attack their headquarters. These battles will rely on precision, speed, and intensity. We can’t have massive battles being waged on city streets unless absolutely necessary. As such, the governments of China, Russia, and Germany have enacted something we call the Beacon Initiative. Not only will our three candidates be attached to it but so will a team of men from each of the three nations. These teams will be the scalpel with which we will strike and the results of Project Beacon will be our hammer. Each subject will work with a team from their home nation” Jacques walked over to the platter and poured himself another glass of wine.

“Captain, you are here because I have taken a look at your file. You are the man which I have chosen to lead the German contingent. You will choose your own team from a list of candidates I have gathered,” Schnee turned towards the window as the doors in the arena below slide open and a young woman walked out. “You are here to see the fruit of Germany’s scientific and engineering skill. Our contributions to this initiative will bring our nation back out on top. Germany will be truly strong once again” Maik realized what the German Minister of Defence was saying. The man truly lived up to what people said about him. Jacques Schnee wanted the glory days of the German nation back; it seemed he’d do anything to reach that goal.

“Sir, who is our candidate?” Maik asked, watching the girl below begin combat drills against what seemed to be test drones with a strange looking sword. To the younger man’s surprise, Jacques began walking towards the door, but not before he gave an answer that Maik wasn’t expecting.“Our candidate is one Weiss Schnee” The captain’s eyes widened as he realized what that name meant.

“Sir, you used your daughter as a test subject?!” Maik said, his voice raised as the previous respect for the Minister quickly disappeared at the revelation. Before the director left the room, he looked at the captain over his shoulder with a cold glare on his face.

“Sacrifices must be made” he said before leaving, leaving Captain Maik Walch to watch the director’s augmented daughter drill for war and wonder what the bleak-looking future would hold.   


	4. Black

A soft rain fell upon the city of London, not that such weather was unusual to the city or its inhabitants. After all, the United Kingdom was famous for its infamously wet and cold weather. That still didn’t stop Londoners from enjoying the city’s famous nightlife. Of course, only the best clubs were in located in the rather shady areas of the city; places everyone intentionally forgot about yet remembered the moment they needed a bit of fun in their lives. It was at the club known as Club Virizon that one Nero Katz found himself at. He honestly didn’t like dance clubs, as he was more of a bar and pub man but, for the sake of his mission, he had to endure. His black trenchcoat, not unlike those once worn by Great War soldiers, kept him warm and protected against the sky’s steady rain, with his black beanie covering his dark brown hair. Aviators covered his eyes, a trademark of his as he never parted with them; partly because he hated people making such a big fuss over his heterochromia eyes.   
  


As he approached the club, the soft thrum of music resonating out of the doors, Nero double-checked himself to make sure his equipment was all there and ready. His cell (something he never let go of) sat in his breast pocket, along with his pack of smokes; at one point he may have had to worry about cancer, but with the discovery of the miracle substance known as Dust, he’d stopped worrying about such things. His earpiece, delivered to him in an unmarked package, sat in his ear yet covered by his beanie was unnoticeable. Most important of all, Nero’s gun sat in the crossdraw holster under his right arm, exactly where it belonged. He could never go anywhere without his baby, his specially modified custom C96 Mauser. The weapon had been modified to chamber 10mm rounds, a round much more adapt at piercing body armour than the original .45 caliber. The weapon also had what most would deem incredibly impractical; a large yet elegant blade extended from the barrel, perfect in case Nero ever needed to get up close and dirty. It also helped that the blade could be switched to act like a traditional bayonet as well.

Nero arrived at the door, a long line of older teens and twenty-somethings extending away from Club Virizon’s door. Thanks to some forethought and preparation on his partner’s initiative, Nero was able to skip the line and enter without any hassle, much to the complaints of several already drunk and high potential club goers. It helped that he was friends with the club’s owner Tukson. The man was well-known thanks to his club being one of the most succesful in London and the fact that he was also a dealer in rare antiques, particularly books (Nero always found that aspect of the club owner strangely funny). However, while Nero always liked Tukson’s company, he was unfortunately not here for a visit. Rather, he was here to meet someone, a woman from what he’d been told. While the club was filled with a swarming and gyrating mob of people, Nero could always point out those who didn’t belong; he always thought of himself as special that way, though growing up on the streets of the rougher areas of London helped certainly helped.

Sure enough, he spotted his needle in the hay stack and oh, how much did she stand out. The woman looked very out of place in her outfit, with her white zip-up shirt and black pants standing out amidst the much more casual clothes of the other club goers. Nero noticed several frills to her outfit as well, namely the black curved fabric hanging from her belt with the purple fabric under that. The bow on her head completed the unorthodox look. Nero wasn’t really one to judge however, after all he WAS wearing a old-fashioned trenchcoat with aviators and black beanie in a nightclub after all. He decided to approach the woman, cautiously of course; he’d had one too many bad situations stemming from throwing caution to the wind. Edging closer, he noticed that this woman was reading a book, one hell of a tough task in a place filled with loud music and yelling people; he also had to grin when he noticed that the book she happened to be holding was Fifty Shades Of Grey. Even a woman with an air such as her’s couldn’t get away from reading such novels.

Walking up to her, Nero tapped her on the shoulder. “Hello, are you Miss Belladonna?” The girl nearly jumped out of her seat, also startling Nero. Now that he got a closer look, Nero realized that this girl had amber cat-like eyes, eyeshadow the colour of a light purple flaring at the edges of her eyes,  
“Gah! Yes, yes I am. My name is Blake Belladonna” the girl said, extending her hand in greeting. Nero reciprocated the gesture before taking a seat across from her. Waving over one of the bar tenders, Nero ordered a bottle of Corona for himself; Blake declined any beverage. As Nero waited, he reached into his jacket and withdrew a thick manila envelope, sliding it across the table towards the cat-like girl. She took it and slid out the contents, her eyes rapidly flicking back and forth absorbing its contents. While Nero had a feeling that the girl in front of him wasn’t entirely legitimate, he had no idea what the envelope contained or who she actually worked for. He shrugged mentally to himself; it never hurt to ask.

“I have a question” Nero said, gaining the girl’s attention. 

“Besides being told to meet you, I have no idea who the hell you are or what's in the envelope. Mind filling me in?” he asked, quietly hoping for an actual response. The girl studied him for what seemed like eternity, her amber eyes boring into his soul. Finally, she smiled and released a small chuckle.

“I’m not surprised. Adam doesn’t necessarily like outsiders knowing our business” Nero looked at her quizzically. He’d already begun trying to connect the dots, assuming everything from the woman in front of him being part of the Mafia to some super-secret organization. She laughed some more as she watched the gears turn behind Nero’s non-visible eyes, a sly frown on his face.

“If you really want to know, I’m with the White Fang. Adam is my partner and my commander; I’m his second-in-command” With that little revelation, the situation that Nero found himself in took on a whole new light. Being part of the London underground, he was well-versed in the details of the group that was the White Fang. It had apparently been peaceful once, protesting against the increasing control several massive multinational corporations were extending over the world and its governments. It had been the largest peaceful group of its kind, that is until the Labour Day Massacre. Everyone knew the details of the incident by now; it had spread like wildfire across every channel all over the world. The Mistrali Corporation and Atlesian Industries, two of those aforementioned multinationals, had decided that they didn’t really like having protesters show up at their doors every day. So, they’d dispatched the famous defense contractor known as Vytal Security to disrupt the demonstrations being held at their massive joint corporate office in Chicago. One thing had lead to another and the next thing anyone knew four VS members stood with their rifles smoking and at least fifty demonstrators dead. It didn’t help matters much that whoever was unlucky enough to stick around, protestor or no, was rounded up and detained at Vytal’s ‘rehabilitation centre’ on the outskirts of the city. With that and many other incidents, the peaceful regime went out and a much more militant one came in. Now the White Fang fought a guerilla war with the three corporations and their allies, along with being labelled terrorists by both them and much of the world. It didn’t help that the world’s biggest player, the United States, also happened to have the CEO of Atlesian Industries in the White House with virtually no opposition.  Nero still had no idea how that happened exactly, what with democracy and all that, but he figured that as the CEO of one of the world’s biggest business entities you could do pretty much anything.

“Well, that explains all the secrecy about who the hell I was supposed to meet” Nero said as his beer arrived. Taking a drink, he swept his eyes over the area, a practice that had become a force of habit thanks to his line of work. Luckily for him, this particular sweep happened to pay off quite well.

“Miss Belladonna? Don’t mean to interrupt you or anything, but we may have a problem” Nero told the girl, slowly putting down his drink while keeping his targets in range. The White Fang second looked at him with a cocked eyebrow, one borne out of curiosity more than irritation. Nero subtlety indicated to her the trouble in particular. 

“At the bar, two men; one's dressed in a polo and jeans, the others wearing a sweater and cargos. While that may not necessarily be unusual given are location, I’d also like to draw attention to the fact that they don’t carry themselves like clubgoers,” the cocked eyebrow continued, although amber eyes wandered over to the two men Nero described. “When you’ve lived in London your whole life and have had more than a few run-ins with the authorities like I have, you get to know a plain cloth when you see one. Now, judging by how those two are sitting along with the fact that they have guns and that I don’t recognize them as Junior’s boys, it's safe to say they’re not here to party” 

As if one cue, Nero and Blake turned their heads at the sound of commotion coming from outside the club, namely the sound of orders being given and guns being cocked. The shouts and screams of panic also helped set the mood. Before either could react, Club Virizon’s door burst open, having been kicked by a rather large black combat boot. Several armed men in full combat gear with Vector submachine guns filed in, sweeping their guns back and forth to cover the entirety of the club and its occupants. Following them was a man wearing a black tailored suit and overcoat, a matching fedora on his head. By the way he carried himself and the air he gave off, it was clear to Nero that this man was in command.

The suited individual cleared his throat before he spoke, “Good evening, ladies and gentlemen! I am deeply sorry for interrupting your...festivities,” clear disgust obvious on his last word. “My men and I represent Vytal Incorporated; I’m sure that name is familiar. We are here because we have received word that a known terrorist is present in this establishment; I simply seek to bring her in for arrest. If you all cooperate with my men,” the suit flicked his hand forward, causing the soldiers to begin moving through the club. “Than we shall have no problems! Now, if one Miss Blake Belladonna is present, I implore her to turn herself in. I’m sure these people wish to get on with the rest of their night” Nero’s eyes flicked to Blake, who by this point had visibly blanched; it was clear she was having difficulty stopping herself from running. 

“Look, I have a plan” Nero whispered to the girl, snapping her out of her trance. She looked at him expectantly, to which he replied with a simple grin. Before she could ask what exactly the plan was, Nero swiped his beer off the table, took a massive drink and threw it at the suit. The man’s eyes went wide as the unexpected projectile hurtled towards him but he quickly composed himself and withdrew a massive revolver; a S&W 500 if Nero was right. The massive weapon roared, the equally massive round turning the bottle to dust and tearing a large hole into the roof. Both men stared each other down, the soldier’s guns trained on Nero while Blake looked on with a dumbfounded expression. 

“Hiya Ciar! Long time no see!” Nero exclaimed happily. To just about everyone’s confusion, the suited man, or Ciar, began laughing as he lifted off his fedora with one hand.

“Likewise, Nero. Now, is that any way to treat your brother? I was hoping for a card or something” Ciar said, a simple yet sly smirk on his face. Blake’s expression turned to a mixture of shock and anger at the sudden revelation, although Nero made no obvious sign that he noticed. 

“Well, you know, after you turned around, betrayed your friends and brother before selling them out to a company who helps control the world and doesn’t give a shite about its employees aside from their special ‘projects’, its the least I could do” Nero answered, his previously cheery expression turning much darker. Ciar’s face still held the same smirk, although it was clear that there was a much more sinister meaning behind it. 

“You know why I did what I did, Nero. So don’t lecture me. Now, in the interest of time, I’m going to assume that woman with you is Blake Belladonna, correct?” Nero’s expression went unchanged, although Blake’s was now one of horror at the discovery of her identity. It didn’t help her that Ciar’s men had begun steadily moving towards her position.

“Yes” Nero finally answered, Blake’s look of horror only growing worse. It would have been comical had she not been in the current situation.“Well, can I please have her? It wouldn’t look good if I left empty handed”

Nero withdrew his Mauser and levelled it at his brother’s head. “Here’s your bloody answer” he said as he pulled the trigger. The gun bucked as the 10mm round sailed towards Ciar, too fast for him to dodge. The bullet slammed into Ciar’s head, throwing his skull back and causing him to fall to the floor. Before any of the soldiers could react, the two men Nero had pointed out previously lept into action, withdrawing compact submachine guns before they began firing. Nero fired at the men closest to him and Blake before he grabbed her and took off towards one of the back exits.

“Yours?” Nero wheezed as they ran through the club’s backrooms. Blake only offered a nod and a squeeze of Nero’s hand in response. He hadn’t liked shooting his brother, but he needed a way out; his brother was one of the most dangerous people Nero knew and taking him out in a situation such as the one they were currently fleeing from was top priority. Of course, Nero couldn’t help but feel something that he most definitely should not have felt, especially after killing the man who had destroyed his life. He was feeling guilt. Guilt and sorrow at what he had just done, sorrow at the fact he’d just killed his own flesh-and-blood. Nero’s thoughts were interrupted as laughing began emanating from what seemed like all around him. 

“You really thought you could get rid of me that easy? Nero, I’m hurt. But you know what the benefit is to being employed by a company that rules the world?” Before Nero could even process what was happening, both he and Blake were swallowed by the shadows all around them before they were suddenly deposited on the club’s roof. A voice dripping with venom, malice, and insanity whispered in Nero’s ear as he stepped through the void.

“You get upgrades!”

Nero and Blake nearly fell off the roof as their momentum continued to carry them forward. It took both of them nearly falling over before they could stop.“What the hell was that?! That man was your brother! You could have told me before hand!” Blake yelled at him, finally gaining a chance to speak. Nero caught his breath, giving the frazzled girl a look of irritation. 

“If I’d known he was gonna show up tonight, you would have been the first to know. In case you’re wondering about the whole beer bottle thing, I wasn’t expecting him to pull out a fucking hand cannon and blow it up. I was gonna use that as a distraction then run” Nero told her, composing himself and checking to make sure all his precious equipment was where it should have been. Before Blake could respond, that same sinister voice spoke behind her.

“Clearly that plan worked wonderfully, brother. But like I said, I got upgrades” To the astonishment of both Blake and Nero, Ciar stepped out of the shadows adorning the roof. He appeared fine, with the bullet hole Nero was sure he’d put in his head nowhere to be found. It didn’t take long for the men under Ciar’s command to show up and surround the two trapped escapees. Blake’s face grew paler as she realized how trapped they were, much to Nero’s dismay. “You’re supposed to be the second-in-command for the world’s most wanted terror group? Yeah, great impression so far” Nero scoffed internally, tempted to roll his eyes if they weren’t so trapped.

“Well, you got us bro. We’re pretty much trapped, no way out. What do you want?” he said nonchalantly, much to Ciar’s amusement and Blake’s horror. 

“Simple. Give me Miss Belladonna and you go free” Ciar said confidently, somehow grasping onto the notion that the ties between the brothers was stronger than the ties between two strangers. Much to Ciar’s irritation, however, Nero simply responds with a laugh.

“Ya know, if I was anyone else I’d probably agree,” he said, flashing a grin and winking at Blake. 

“Of course, I’m me though. So I guess you're shit out of luck” Nero couldn’t help but find satisfaction at the silent rage he’d sent his brother into and the slow movement of the soldiers away from their commander.

“Brother, you seem to forget that I have you surrounded. You’re not going anywhere” Ciar hissed, withdrawing his hand cannon and levelling at his brother. The other armed men, hesitant at first, quickly followed suit.  
Nero just smiled and shook his head at the display, causing quite a bit of confusion from Blake and further irritation from Ciar. “Clearly, we’ve been out of touch for too long,” Nero said. In a flash, he scooped up Blake and dashed over to the roof’s edge, poised to drop. “You’d always know that I have a plan” Before anyone could react, Nero tossed himself off the roof with Blake, the latter screaming bloody murder the entire way down. Ciar and his men rushed over to see whether or not the two had left a new mark on the pavement below, but were instead but by the loud rumble of engines as a small hovercraft rose from the alleyway. The pilot’s windows were tinted, making view inside impossible. However, much to Ciar’s disbelief, on the top of the craft sat a ecstatic Nero and a terrified Blake.

“Like I said, I always have a plan!” Nero shouted, throwing his fuming brother a two-fingered salute.

“See ya!” With that, the hovercraft took off towards downtown London, a place that coincidentally would be next to impossible to find the two in.Ready to explode, Ciar withdrew his cellphone from his coat and selected the only number he had on quick dial. This was a call he most definitely didn’t want to make.

 

The office space was brightly lit by all manner of lamps and other bright objects. It was largely typical of a CEO’s office in New York, though being the office of one of the world’s largest companies had its advantages. The office was currently occupied by a group of people seated around a conference table. The figure at the head of the table slammed his fist into the built-in phone, anger evident in his eyes. 

“Bad news from the clinic?” one of the group said. He was dressed in a white suit, his jacket partially unbuttoned to display a black dress shirt underneath. His bright orange hair was covered by a black bowler hat, while a look of amusement danced behind his emerald eyes. Besides his chair sat a simple cane, one he always kept a hand on.

“Now is not the time to be joking. Could you actually act serious for once?” a gruff voice said in an irritated tone. The owner was a tall, older-looking man. He had a regal and military air about him. He wore a grey-white suit with a neck scarf tucked into the collar while on his chest sat several military service medals, all gleaming and proudly displayed. His grey eyes bore a look of deep concentration and his brown hair held a touch of grey at the sides. His image suddenly flickered slightly, the only indication that the man was a hologram.

“Now, now. Let him have his fun. You know he doesn’t always get a chance like this” another voice rang out, this one belonging to a woman. She had a sly, amused smile on her face; her fiery yellow-orange eyes shared the same emotions. Her long raven black hair fell back behind her, perfect and undisturbed. She wore a long red dress and black high heels; the dress was covered in intricate orange and black designs. Behind her stood two more people, her right and left hands, both staying back to the sidelines.

“You do know Belladonna might go underground again, right? It’ll be next to impossible to track her down again” said yet another woman, ignoring the exchange of the other three. Her blood red eyes stood out, competing with her counterpart for the most vibrant. She had a long mane of jet black hair, immaculate yet messy at the same time. She fiddled with one of the four sets of beads she wore on her neck.She was the only one not dressed formally, instead opting for a red-and-black miniskirt and a copper-red jacket covering a black v-neck. 

The man at the table’s head simply sighed, rubbing his temples. “I realize that but we do have an advantage considering the man who helped Blake escape was Ciar’s brother. You might know him better as the Butcher of Rome” He watched at least two sets of eyes nearly pop out of their skulls, a sly grin cross the face of the woman in the red dress, and the gruff man’s face remain neutral.

“Make no mistake, while he is dangerous, Ciar has briefed me extensively on everything concerning his brother. The most important part is this: he has no loyalty, works for whoever pays the most. Now, all of us have plenty of money, so the pay is no issue. I’m also sure that after tonight’s little debacle with his brother, it is very likely that Nero will refuse to work further with them. As long as we keep him away from Ciar, I’m sure the Butcher of Rome will prove a valuable asset” the man said. The man with the orange hair simply put his hand up, a gesture which elicited an irritated sigh from the man in the shadows. 

“Boss, while I’m sure your plan is flawless, what happens if he doesn’t do what we expect him too? Sometimes people aren’t exactly black-and-white” Before anyone could respond, a completely new voice interjected.

“Thats where I come in.” The voice belonged to a young man who stood behind the chair at the head of the table. Unlike the occupant of the latter, this man was readily visible to the people present. He wore a black leather jacket, an equally black v-neck underneath, grey combat pants, and black combat boots. A pair of tinted, futuristic-looking aviators sat on his face with the lower portion covered by a bandana along with a military style cap covering his head. Around his neck hung the symbols of alpha and omega overlapping each other. On his back was a positively massive rifle which appeared to be specially made.

“Who are you exactly?” orange hair asked, reaching for the gun he kept strapped on the inside of his suit. Before he could draw anything, he pulled back his hand in pain as a small ball bearing struck the back of his hand. 

“I wouldn’t do that if I were you” the man said, his hand filled with similar bearings.

“Both of you, stop. To answer your question, this man is our contingency for Nero in case things don’t work out. He’s one of those who generously accepted what our Remnant Program offered. Now, to ease everyone’s tension, I propose a toast!” the lead man said, picking up the glass of champagne in front of him. Every seated person did the same and raised their glasses to their leader.

“The eve of the Grimm Awakening is nigh! Soon, we will be the true rulers of this world, its people our servants! To power! To wealth! To godhood!” the man crescendoed, lifting his glass into the air. The four others mimicked his actions.

“To godhood!” 


	5. Yellow

Every nation in the world has undergone significant change at some point in its existence, for better or for worse. In the last two centuries, no nation had faced greater change than the People’s Republic Of China. The country had gone from one faced by exploitation and poverty to a global superpower that dominated entire regions. No longer were China’s major cities covered in vast slums and poverty. These cities became covered in modernization; skyscrapers and highways littered cities like Beijing and Shanghai, their people rich and prosperous in every sense of the word. The Chinese government welcomed this new era of prosperity with open arms and wide pockets. However, like every supposed utopia, there was always the darker sides of society lurking just below the surface. In the city of Hong Kong, one Hei Xiong, a.k.a. Junior, wouldn’t have it any other way.  
  


Junior had been an enterprising sort ever since he was a young kid growing up in Beijing. While some with talents such as his would start up their own business or put their talents to better use, Hei was never one to take what was in his eyes the easy way out. He’d stayed relatively legitimate up until his graduation from university, when he’d been enlisted to help the local Triads on account of his natural talent and business degree. It helped that his father had connections. The young man had rapidly risen through the ranks until he ran a small chunk of the Triad’s less-than-legal business ventures in the formerly British city. While drug and weapons trafficking was simple for him, his best enterprise just so happened to be the slave trade. In particular, Hei Xiong’s slave fights were extremely well-known throughout the Hong Kong underworld. His club was quite exclusive and only the most elite of the underworld (and some of the more legitimate businessmen as well) were allowed in to watch the fights. It just so happens that Hei currently had a fight coming up. He smiled to himself as he thought about it and the participants. This would be one hell of a fight, one hell of a fight indeed. 

The young man gently moved his way through the attendants, trying to not suffocate on the excessive amount of cologne and perfume those around him were wearing. He hated formal events and disliked the types of people such events attracted; unfortunately, a part of his job description just so happened to include the need to attend such parties. No job was perfect and Second Lieutenant Jan Longwei knew this better than anyone. He’d been part of the Ministry of State Security, China’s well-known intelligence agency, for fifteen years and in that time he’d done a lot of things he’d hated as part of his job. But this assignment was particularly loathsome. Not only did he have to mingle with a bunch of stuffed suits and all manner of rich types, he’d also been ordered to remain in a strict surveillance capacity. This, of course, meant that he had to sit back and watch the underworld’s slaves pummel each other to death while he couldn’t do a thing. The only real reason he was here was to observe a supposed meeting between the head of Vale Inc., Roman Torchwick, and the head of this particular slave ring, one Hei Xiong. While infiltrating something like this was usually a job for the HKPD, it was the fact that the world’s biggest pharmaceutical corporations potentially had connections with the Chinese Triads that caused the government to intervene through the MSS. The Big Five, a group to which Vale Inc belonged too, were well-known as the near complete rulers of the world (as cliche as that was). Very few could escape their control; even the United States and the United Kingdom had fallen under their iron grip. China was one of those few and, as a result, held open hostility against the group. The country had taken a hit from isolating themselves from massive companies that controlled nearly every other business but both Russia and Germany had come to the country’s assistance. It helped that relations between the three were relatively friendly.Jan’s bosses had managed to get the agent the equivalent of a VIP pass to the fight, giving him a prime seat that gave him a view of Hei’s own personal viewbox but also gave him an exceptional view of the fight arena. Jan Longwei was no stranger to violence, the 35 year old having been in the military fighting terrorists and insurgents when he was younger before being recruited to the MSS, but he hated the idea that people were forced to fight each other for the enjoyment of others. Jan had begged his bosses to allow him a strike team in order to rescue the slaves but he’d been denied on the grounds that it was too risky; given the reach of the Triads and their potential allies, it was likely that such a large-scale operation would be discovered easily. So, that had led Jan to his current position, much to his disappointment. Luckily for the officer, it didn’t take long for one of his two targets to show up; Xiong strood into the center of the stage with a confident swagger that made Jan sick to his stomach in anger. The fact that the man could treat a thing such as this with such a casual attitude infuriated him. As the man cleared his throat, Jan Longwei settled in for the long haul, trying hard to ignore the sudden small yet nagging feeling of apprehension slowly growing in the back of his mind.

“Ladies and gentlemen, if I may have your attention! Welcome to my little fight club!” Hei Xiong announced, his arms spread wide. He wasn’t really big on theatrics, but he’d be lying if he said he didn’t enjoy making an entrance like this. As he looked around at all those in attendance, he couldn’t help but laugh inwardly to himself. He recognized quite a few of the faces present, Chinese ruling elites who publically condemn everything the Triads dealt in yet privately enjoy the very things they condemned. Hei always found it funny how that worked. To be honest, neither Junior nor his bosses really cared what most of those people felt (although friendly relations and bribes never hurt) as long as they got the money they were owed. Luckily for Hei, his slave fights were one of the biggest money earners; it was amazing how much people pay to watch others beat the crap out of each other, especially if they’re enslaved. He’d thrown his moral compass away a long time ago, knowing that it would only hamper any and all of his future actions with the Triads. He couldn’t really complain of course, he drew a sort of sick enjoyment from watching the fights he put on; it was one of the main reasons he’d installed his own personal view box with the best seat in the house.

 

“We have quite a special fight planned for you all tonight, one that I’m sure you won’t soon forget!” Hei shouted, a chorus of claps and cheers roaring out in response. Hei swept his arm to the left, acting very much like a legitimate announcer at an equally legitimate fight. “To my left, we have our very own Mo Bai!” On cue, a tall and extremely muscular man walked out from the shadows of one tunnel, his wrists and ankles shackled with two armed Triads flanking him on either side. Mo Bai had been here ever since Junior had taken control of the slave ring. The guy had been relatively average when Hei had arrived, but he’d noticed that the guy had quite a bit of promise. As a result, he’d invested a lot of time and money training Bai until he was one of the best slave fighters the Triad’s, and Hei in particular, owned. People payed a lot of money to see a good fight, whether they were legitimate professional boxers or human slaves; to Hei, it seemed like people payed a lot more to see illegal fights. He just guessed it was because there weren’t any rules to restrict the entertainment. 

 

“And to my right is the flame serpent herself, Yang Xiao Long!” There was a brief bout of silence, so quiet that anyone could hear a pin drop. Eventually, the low clank of chains began emanating throughout the arena. The noise, combined with the complete silence, added to the growing ominous atmosphere.  After what seemed like an eternity, a girl in chains slowly walked out of the shadows; unlike Mo Bai, she was escorted by no one. She was dressed in what seemed to be very cheap clothes, although these didn’t  seem like they’d be suitable for even the most desperate person in need. Her bright blonde hair, clearly long at one point, was short and ragged; it appeared like it’d been cut by a knife or at the very least old, dull scissors. Her lilac eyes, dulled over and any emotion inside long gone, darted around the arena inspecting their surroundings before resting on Junior and Mo Bai. Both men reflexively flinched at the girl’s actions, not because of what those eyes held but for the exact opposite fact that they held nothing. No anger, no hatred, nothing. Out of all the fighters Junior managed, only Yang Xiao Long truly scared him. To be honest, he had no idea where she’d came from; the girl had been here when Hei took control. As the girl approached them, he couldn’t help but remember the first time he’d seen Yang Xiao Long fight. Long story short, they had to scrap what was left of the guy off of the walls and floor. If it wasn’t for Junior’s special guest, he would never risk a fight between an investment like Mo Bai and a merciless dragon like Xiao Long. As Junior bowed and left to his view box, he nodded at the referee to begin.

 

“Alright, you two. I’m sure I don’t have to explain the rules to you. Hell, the only real rule is to put on a good show for our guests. You get me?” the referee said, standing between the towering giant and the dead-eyed blonde. The former grunted what sounded like an acknowledgement while Yang simply nodded. As the referee backed away to get the fight started, he had a feeling that this bout would be a lot more than anyone bargained for.

As he twirled his cane, waiting for his host to show up, Roman Torchwick began wondering why he was here exactly. Sure, he understood his orders: make contact with a high-ranking Triad officer, strike whatever deal would be appropriate, and from there branch out through the Chinese underworld. Eventually, in theory, all this wheeling and dealing with a little extra on the side would eventually undermine the Chinese government and allow the ‘Big Five’ (Roman personally thought that the nickname was a little underwhelming) to move in and take subtle control like they’d done nearly everywhere else. However, Torchwick also knew that things rarely went according to plan. He’d been setting up plenty of backups just in case but even then the CEO wasn’t entirely sure those would work. Sometimes the last resort was the one and only option. Nevertheless, Roman remained optimistic and tried to make sure this little deal would go as smoothly as possible. The sound of footsteps alerted Roman and the man reflexively tensed until he saw his host, Hei ‘Junior’ Xiong. From what he’d read on the way here, Hei was in charge of a highly successful Triad slave fighting ring based here in Hong Kong. Apparently, they were famous in the underworld and even among China’s rich & famous. That particular fact presented plenty of potential future opportunities to the devious company head, ones that he’d likely exploit sooner rather than later if he had anything to say about it. 

 

“Ah, Mr. Torchwick! So sorry to keep you waiting, had to help set up our entertainment for the evening” Hei said, extending his hand in greeting. Roman reciprocated the gesture, unfazed about the what the entertainment really was. In his time as CEO of a world-spanning pharmaceutical corporation, he’d seen plenty worse than two human slaves beating the crap out of each other.

 

“No need to apologize, Mr. Xiong, I understand perfectly. Hosting a guest always requires everything to be perfect” Roman answered, throwing in a handwave for emphasis. In reality, Roman was more than a little irritated. He wasn’t a man to be kept waiting and certainly wasn’t known for his patience, but the whole point of this little meeting was to establish friendly relations and gain potential allies. Roman may be impatient, but even he knew that treating someone as influential as Hei Xiong like he would usually treat someone below him would only hinder his efforts. 

 

“I’m sure this entertainment you’ve organized will live up to your establishment’s reputation” Roman said as both he and Hei made their way to their seats. The Triad boss simply smirked and released a small chuckle.

 

“Oh, I’m sure it will exceed your expectations. I’ve put two of my best on the roster tonight” he answered as the arrived at the viewbox entrance. Roman followed the man onto what was essentially a fancy and ornate balcony, complete with rather expensive looking furniture and a tray holding what appeared to be scotch or whisky.

 

“Gotta hand it to him, even though his place is a shithole, he at least has some taste” Roman mused thoughtfully before his eyes fell on two women standing by the door, one in a fancy and expensive looking white dress with various accessories including a large hairpin in the shape of a white flower while the other wore an equally fancy and expensive dress and accessories only instead of a hairpin she wore red and white feathers in her hair. Roman’s eyebrow cocked as he realized who exactly he was looking at.

 

“Ah, the infamous Malachite twins. Enforcers loyal only to Junior. Dangerous as enemies but they could be useful if all goes well tonight. Project material, maybe?”  he thought as he looked them over, although both girls ignored him, or at the very least seemed to be. He caught subtle glimpses in his direction but they seemed more curious than hostile. As Roman took the seat offered to him by Junior, he made one more quick glance in the twin’s direction.

 

“Eh, they’d definitely need some mental conditioning both ways to break their loyalty and switch it over, maybe even some augments. Nonetheless, I’ll bring this up to Raven next time I see her” Roman thought has he took a glass of what was definitely scotch from the tray. Project Remnant was always looking for new ‘volunteers’ and Roman had a feeling Raven would readily accept the sisters. That woman and her endless schemes and plans always unnerved Torchwick, something that not many could claim, not even Cinder. As Roman looked out over the arena, he watched as a referee finished talking to an overly large Chinese mand and a younger girl with short, ragged blonde hair. 

 

“You sure those are your best fighters? Seems a little mismatched to me” Roman asked Hei, who took a long sip from his glass. Much to Roman’s annoyance, the Triad simply offered up yet another chuckle. 

 

“Last week, some rich kid thought the same thing when he saw her. Demanded he fight her. I told him it’d end badly, but the guy was insistent. So I let him, especially with all the cash he waved in my face” Hei said, taking another drink from his glass and intentionally leaving the story unfinished. Roman just watched him, waiting for the guy to continue. This amused Hei to no end. 

 

“If I remember correctly, he ended up with a shattered jaw, broken nose, several broken ribs, a leg that was definitely NOT supposed to bend at the angle it was at, and a severed hand” Hei said nonchalantly, silently laughing at Roman’s pale and dumbfounded expression.

 

“That girl did THAT? The hell do you feed her?!” Roman said, legitimately shocked that a slave fighter could do that much damage. 

 

“The best part was that I got to keep the guys money! Bought some nice stuff with it too” Junior exclaimed happily, seemingly oblivious to the fact that he had actually let some poor kid basically be crippled for life. As the exchange ended and the two began watching the beginnings of the fight, Junior failed to notice the mad grin slowly spreading across Roman Torchwick’s face as he watched the blond girl in particular.

 

“Looks like Raven’ll be getting three new toys this time”

Jan had to admit, as much as he hated the fact that he had to watch this fight, that the Yang Xiao Long girl was quite an impressive fighter. She was not only holding her own against a significantly larger opponent but it was clear to even the most stubborn viewers that the girl was winning. Sure, she took a few hits from Mo Bai but at the same time Jan had watched her repay whatever damage the larger man did almost tenfold. He could tell that Junior knew it too, as he’d seen the man subtly tense every time Yang had landed a hit against her opponent; although it was clear that the Triad leader favoured Mo Bai, it was clear that the man had little faith in his golden boy by now. However, Hei’s special guest was a completely different story. Vale Inc.’s CEO Roman Torchwick appeared to favour no one and simply appeared to be relishing in the carnage. Given the man’s infamous reputation, the MSS agent wasn’t all that surprised. Seeing nothing overly suspicious for the time being, Longwei decided to focus on the fight, Yang in particular. The blonde fighter moved with a fluidity that he rarely saw even among his best close-combat instructors yet at the same time she was relentless and, if given a chance, wouldn’t hesitate to kill her opponent. 

 

Jan winced as he watched a vicious right hook from Mo Bai connect with Yang’s cheek, tossing her hard across the arena. The girl laid still for a moment before staggering to her feet and spitting out a large glob of blood. Both combatants stood still for a moment, as if time ground to a halt. Before anyone could react, Yang rushed forward and collided like a truck into Mo Bai, knocking the wind out of him and sending him flying into the barricade behind him. Before the man could recover, the blonde girl was instantly on the man, raining blow after blow all over his torso and face; both areas quickly became black and purple from the sheer amount of broken and burst blood vessels underneath the skin. The muscular man tried desperately  to fight back but before he could even swing, several large cracks resounded across the arena. Jan recognized that immediately as the sound of broken bones but he was astonished all the same.

 

“She disabled his arms before he even tried to strike?! Her reaction time and perception is amazing!” he thought, wincing even more as Yang bashed Mo Bai over and over, now completely unimpeded. Longwei looked to Junior’s viewbox, trying to gauge the emotions and reactions of the two occupants. Junior was clearly mortified at the scene in front of him and, frankly, was likely terrified of Yang herself; to be honest, Jan wasn’t overly surprised. Even to him, the girl was unnerving and it was likely that she could beat him in a one-on-one fight, something he was specialized at. Roman, however, had a completely different disposition. The CEO was on the edge of his seat, his eyes wide with joy and a jubilant grin on his face. Jan almost expected him to jump over the railing and join the fray. He could also feel the overall mood of the crowd. Frankly, he wasn’t surprised. The rich around him would clearly be unaccustomed to the level of violence displayed before them; Jan had noticed what seemed like some ex-military types however so he doubted they were affected as much. Before long, it was clear that Mo Bai wouldn’t be getting back up. His face was almost completely destroyed, both arms and a leg twisted at odd angles. His wheezing breath was almost certainly an indication of a punctured lung. His body was almost entirely different shades of blue and black; barely a trace of undamaged skin was visible. All the while, Yang Xiao Long stood over the crumpled form with the look of a predatory animal in her eyes; Jan couldn’t help but find himself shaking at a look such as hers from someone Yang’s age. He hated it but at the same time drew a small measure of satisfaction from the fact that Junior’s favorite was nothing but dust now. That satisfaction only grew as Jan looked to the man-in-charge himself, amused at the terrified look on his face.

Hei couldn’t believe this. His golden boy, his money maker. Tossed around like paper by a girl who he dwarfed and should have easily outmatched. Yet there he was, a heap of broken flesh curled up in the corner of the arena, looking like complete crap and currently facing a very good likelihood of being unsalvageable. Hei had to stop himself from jumping back in terror when the blazing lilac eyes of Yang Xiao Long turned to him, boring into him with a desire to kill. The man calmed himself by quickly downing two glasses of scotch he’d poured for himself when it seemed like Mo Bai was losing. 

 

“Having some trouble, Mr. Xiong? You look like quite pale” Roman said, snapping Hei out of his shocked state.

 

“N...no, sir. I’m fine” Junior told the man, putting on the best fake smile he could muster. He knew that Roman easily saw through it but it was better to put on a confident front then to show his true emotions.Hei nearly fell out of his chair when Roman unexpectedly leaped up from his chair, a wicked smile on his face.

 

“Wonderful! Come than. I wish to speak with your fighter!” Roman said, picking up and twirling his cane for emphasis. Hei didn’t really like the sound of that; he’d been getting bad vibes from the CEO ever since the man had shown up. He never trusted men like Roman, even if he was to do business with them. The man didn’t have much choice in following his guest, considering the man was already out the door, so he followed, making sure to grab the gun he’d stashed under his chair. It never hurt to have a little insurance after all.

Roman was ecstatic. It had been quite a long time since he’d seen a fight like that. The ferocity, the brutality of it all. Roman positively loved it. He knew Raven would have a test candidate more than worthy for the project. This Yang Xiao Long could potentially be the best agent they’d ever have. As he walked towards the arena, Roman could hear Xiong struggling to keep up. He had to admit, the Triad knew how to put on one hell of a show; all things considered, the trip to Hong Kong might end well for both parties after all. Especially if he managed to get his hands on Xiao Long; sure, he’d get the twins as a bonus (whether Xiong liked it or not) but getting that blonde brawler was one of his paramount objectives. Roman walked in just as the arena medics (what he presumed to be medics, anyway) hauled the piece of meat that was once Mo Bai away to God knows where; Roman didn’t give a crap but it was interesting to think what Junior would do with his broken boy all the same. Meanwhile. Yang was being re-chained and led back towards the tunnel she’d come from at the beginning. Knowing that privacy would be paramount given the surroundings, he moved to intercept the chained blonde once they were in the shade of the tunnel entrance. 

 

“Hold it, hold it! I want to talk to her” Roman told the slaver leading Yang away, holding his cane in front of the man to emphasize his point. The slaver tensed up at the unexpected interruption and Roman noticed him reaching for what he assumed was a gun but relaxed when Hei gave him a nod, indicating that it was alright. Roman scoffed internally; even if the man had pulled a gun, Roman would have ended it before anyone could even blink. He found it interesting, however, that Yang simply glared at him; barely contained rage blazed behind the girl’s eyes, rage Roman was only to happy to utilize.

 

“Well, hello there Miss Xiao Long. My name is Roman Torchwick, a guest of your owner. I must say, your fight was absolutely wonderful. It had me on the edge of my seat! Your fighting style is particularly interesting; a combination of brute force and agility, rarely have I seen something like that work so well” Roman told the girl, hand held behind his back and his cane set on the ground. While he may be unorthodox and obnoxious (according to Cinder, anyway), Roman was no fool. He was set up so he could quickly react to anything Yang could potentially throw at him; judging by the hateful glare she directed at him, she was just barely containing herself. The chains on her arms and legs wouldn’t hold her, Torchwick knew this. He was just hoping to minimize any potential damage. 

 

“In fact, I was so impressed that I decided to come down here and make you an offer, one that I’m sure you’ll find interesting” Roman told the girl, amused when he noticed her glare soften slightly in curiosity. The man could still feel the tension of Hei and the slaver beside Yang, but at this point they were nothing more than background objects. 

 

“You see, a program is being run jointly by both my own company and one of my compatriots, one that I feel you’d be perfect for. I can’t discuss the full specifics in public, as I’m sure you understand, but the benefits far outweigh the con. What do you say?” Roman asked, holding out his hand. Of course, he had a backup in case this little meeting didn’t go as planned but he more than hoped to avoid that. He’d rather not end up like Hei’s ex-golden boy.

Yang simply looked at Roman’s hand with a blank look, the previous tinge of curiosity gone from her face. She looked back up at Roman, his false smile holding strong against a rather awkward situation. The girl then flashed a quick glance behind the man, making Hei reflexively flinch when her gaze rested on him. The girl’s gaze finally settled back on Torchwick, who’s previously solid façade had begun to crack from irritation and impatience.

 

A small smirk stretched across Yang’s face, a slight scoff admitting from her. Suddenly, before anyone could react, Torchwick flew back courtesy of Yang’s foot to his chest. The man jammed his cane into the ground and skidded across the dirt floor. Hei and the slaver in charge of Yang’s chains simply stood there in shock, unable to process what had happened. However, Roman’s reaction was even more surprising. The man simply got up, brushed himself off, checked his cane over, and stared back into Yang’s angry glare.

 

“Well, that wasn’t very nice” Roman said nonchalantly, as if someone had bumped into him while on the street. He began walking back towards the small group, chuckling to himself and twirling his cane. He stopped and looked back into Yang’s rage-filled eyes with a  mix of annoyance and amusement. Before Yang could react, Roman whipped his cane into the back of the girl’s legs and levelled it at her head. Flicking a switch on the handle, the end popped open and the blonde brawler found herself staring down the barrel of a gun.

 

“Raven may brush it off, but I am not one for disobedience amongst my henchmen, both current and future. You will be coming with me whether you wish to or not; if I have to damage you, than so be it. Raven can fix anything I do” Roman told the kneeling girl, a look of impassiveness on his face. For a brief moment, however, the look changed from one of apathy to a sneer.

 

“Although, we both know you’re damaged enough already. Isn’t that right, Yang Xiao Long?” the man said, a look of malice and joy dancing across his eyes. Yang couldn’t do much except glare; she may have been a relentless slave fighter, but even she knew that a gun levelled at your head meant you were screwed. It didn’t matter much to her, however. Roman was right, she was broken. Her time as a slave hadn’t been kind and the girl had long given up hope about escape or even seeing her family again. Hell, she could barely remember what they looked like. Weirdly enough, she was thankful in a way that she was about to die (or at least get brain wiped if what Roman said was true). Maybe that's why she decided to close her eyes and wait for Roman to pull the trigger. Only the shot never came. Instead of a bang, she heard a much more subtle click and Roman mumbling what must have been an expletive under his breath. Opening her eyes, Yang found herself looking down the barrel of a gun, yet the man behind that barrel currently found himself in similar circumstances. The new guy in question was strangely dressed in old-school Oriental robes and had a pink hair braid running down the right side of his face. He also happened to have zero emotion evident on his face. Yang couldn’t help but suppress her rising urge to laugh at the whole randomness and absurdity of a situation like this. It was a welcome change from the usual, she had to admit. 

Roman Torchwick was a punctual, if slightly unorthodox, man. He liked getting things done quickly. Yet sometimes he found himself indulging his much more disorganized and brutal side every once in a while. The current situation was a perfect example. He couldn’t help but gloat and watch the rather rude girl kneeling before him to angrily realize that she couldn’t do a damned thing about Roman getting ready to blow her brains out. However, the little interruption that he was currently facing was much more irritating to his punctual self. After all, he had places to be.

 

“Lower the cane, Torchwick” the newcomer growled, a gun to the back of Roman’s head and a blade at his throat. It took him a few seconds, but Roman realized who exactly he was dealing with.

 

“Ah, Lie Ren! Glad that you could join us! Here to reconsider the deal I offered?” Roman asked happily, uncaring that a gun was being held to the back of his head. He noticed a subtle smirk on Xiao Long’s face, one which sent a wave of irritation coursing through him. He didn’t let it show, of course; he’d learned long ago that emotions could be your worst enemy in such a delicate situation. That, and he wouldn’t give the girl the satisfaction in the fact that she deeply annoyed him.

 

“Shut up. I said, drop the cane” Ren said angrily, pressing his gun harder into Roman’s head to emphasize his point. A smirk slowly plastered itself on Roman’s face. 

 

“Well, you said lower it but alright” he told Ren. Dropping the cane from his grasp, Ren’s attention was diverted momentarily. That was all Roman needed. Before Ren could react, Roman grabbed the cane from midair and jammed it backwards into the man’s stomach. Smiling as he heard Ren gasp and struggle for air, Roman then re-focused on Yang, who had watched the scene unfold with a look of surprise on her face. He grinned maliciously at the girl as he cocked the cane back and swung the weapon forward, striking her viciously in the temple. The blond collapsed to the floor unconscious, blood running down the side of her head from the brutal hit. Roman kicked the girl for good measure. He’d been having a good day so far but this girl’s stubbornness had ruined his mood. Not only that, one of Beacon’s top agents had come calling and had managed to get the drop on him; he’d need a hell of a drink once he left Hong Kong.

 

“You were worth the trip. Truly, you were” Roman sneered at an unconscious Xiong as he walked past, dusting off the last bits of dirt and grime on his jacket. He found the arena empty and devoid of spectators, probably escorted out by Hei’s people when he’d chased down Yang. The telltale cocking of a hammer, however, told Roman that he wasn’t entirely alone. 

 

“MSS! Stop!” the man behind him yelled. Roman just rolled his eyes. Joy. First Beacon, now Chinese state security too. This just keeps getting better and better Roman thought as he turned to look at the new annoyance. He wore a suit, much like the other guests, with his jet black hair tastefully combed to the side. His most prominent feature, however, was the large scar running down the right side of his face. 

 

“You’ll put the cane down and come with me, otherwise I will u-” The man didn’t finish as Roman shot him. He’d made sure to load non-lethal rounds (although he still carried plenty of regular ammo) before he’d got here and as he watched the MSS agent slump to the ground, he praised himself for his forethought. Last thing he needed was to be blacklisted and get into a potential shadow war with China; a hostile Chinese government wasn’t worth the trouble anyway, no matter how much they annoyed him. Taking off down the main tunnel, it wasn’t long before Roman ran into yet one more obstacle in the form of two armed soldiers; judging from their uniforms, Roman guessed they were Ren’s men.

 

“Halt!” one of the soldiers said, levelling his SG 552 assault rifle at Roman’s face. 

 

“Oh for God’s sake, again? This is the third damn time I’ve had a gun levelled at me. Can’t you guys just turn around and pretend I was never here? Be a lot easier for everyone” Roman asked, rolling his eyes and moving towards the two men. He froze when the first man tensed while his partner joined his comrade’s side and turned his own rifle on Roman. If it was only one man, then Roman might have a chance but with the fact that one guy was covering the other meant that by the time he took one the other would have filled him full of holes. He was a skilled fighter but there were times when even he knew that he was outmatched. However, the glint of steel from behind the two men informed him that his backup had arrived.

 

“Well, you boys got me, truly you have. Although, I must say, how’re you against ghosts?” said Roman with a smug smirk on his face. Both soldiers looked at Roman with a confused look on their face.

 

“Alright, buddy. Nice to know you’re nuts” the one on the right said as he produced a pair of cuffs and moved towards Roman. Before he could put them on however, they both heard a sickening squelch from behind the soldier. Looking behind him, he saw his friend fall to the ground with a neat hole bunched into where his right eye would be. Before the other man could react, Roman slammed his cane into the side of the man’s head with a sickening crack, causing him to go limp and crumple to the ground.

 

“About time you got here, Neo. Where the hell did you go?” A small girl appeared out of thin air, a smirk plastered on her face. Her hair was three different colours and her eyes were heterochromatic. In her hand she twirled a parasol with a sharp, blood-stained blade at the end. ‘I was here, but I decided to take a nap after I got those things you told me to grab. You and those soldiers woke me up’’ Neo signed, earning a sigh from Roman, who began massaging the bridge of his nose.

 

“Of course you did. At least you got what I asked for. Come on, this whole thing went south so we need to get the hell out of here” he said, moving past Neo and towards the exit, the small girl following close behind.‘Oh yeah, got a message from Wonderland’ Neo told Roman as they boarded the small civilian dropship outside the arena. Roman shivered at the thought of the message’s content; Agent Wonderland wasn’t the most stable human being in the world and tended to leave quite a mess.“Oh wonderful, Wonderland got into the corpses again” Roman deadpanned as he opened up the message. It was a picture of a room littered with bodies in various states of dismemberment. In the very center was a morbid tree made from human body parts, a head stuck at the very top like a morbid star. Above it, written in blood, were the words For you, Uncle!. It was not uncommon for things like this to come from Wonderland and Roman had gotten used to receiving pictures like this but it still unnerved him nonetheless. ‘Aww, I think its kinda cute’ Neo signed to Roman, taking the tablet back from him. He just looked at the small girl seated beside him.Joy, I have two sadistic short people as henchmen, Roman thought as he left Hong Kong’s airspace. Yet at the same time, he didn’t overly mind too much. Sure, they rejoiced in causing people pain but that always made things more interesting. Roman had a feeling that things would get a lot more interesting very soon. 

“Hey, wake the hell up. Since when do you of all people sleep on the job?”Ren felt himself being nudged in the ribs and registered someone standing above him. He forced his eyes open, letting them adjust to the light also emanating above him. Looking up, he found himself staring at a man with platinum hair and strange pink eyes with purple flecks scattered throughout.

 

“When the hell did you get here?” Ren asked, lifting himself off the ground and dusting his robes off. He found his Storm Flowers sitting nearby, near the unconscious body of the Triad boss Hei Xiong. 

 

“Oz sent me to look after you in case anything went wrong. Clearly, it did” the young man said, patting down Xiong’s body and pocketing his cellphone and any other useful pieces of information and evidence. 

 

“What do you wanna do with her?” he asked, motioning to the girl lying at Ren’s feet. He recognized her as the girl who’d fought in tonight’s match and the one who Roman had been ready to shoot before Ren had arrived. He pondered what to do briefly before deciding on a course of action.

 

“It looked like Roman wanted her for something but I guess they didn’t see eye-to-eye. He was about to execute her when I showed up,” Ren told his compatriot. 

 

“We’ll bring her with us, see what Ozpin thinks. Don’t think she’ll mind too much, doesn’t exactly seem like she liked it here anyway” The man simply nodded and hefted the girl over his shoulder; she let out a small moan at the interruption in her unintentional sleep. 

 

“I placed an anonymous call to the HKPD, by the way. Should be coming down on this place any minute now. With luck, they’ll find our State Security friend outside as well” the young man said as he and Ren escaped the underworld arena. Jumping into Ren’s car, a black Nissan GT-R, they took off towards Hong Kong International and a plane home; they’d laid the girl in the backseat, making sure she was comfortable. As Ren drove, he couldn’t get that ominous feeling out of his gut. The feeling that, very soon, the world would erupt in flames big enough to swallow it whole. 


	6. Yang

"SLEEP CYCLE HAS BEEN DISRUPTED." A mechanical voice chimes causing me to spring to my feet. After years of slavery you learn to wake up quickly. Though I was not greeted by the same dank cell I had called home. Instead, I find myself surrounded by pristine white walls, an untouched bed, and a single white chair. Maybe my life had finally come to an end. It was a nice thought, but my aching joints said otherwise. On the bed was a plain white gown, clearly meant for me. It wasn't really to my taste, but a hell of a lot better than the rags I had worn for so long. As I reached for the gown, I noticed my bare arms, pure white where my shackles had been. It was shocking, and left me feeling uneasy and naked. Carefully I slipped the gown over my head, wincing as it touched the exposed skin. It was snug against my chest, though not uncomfortably so.

After I changed, I made my way to the door. It too had a blank white surface, with no handle to speak of. Clearly another cell, just cleaner. Yet to my surprise, as I placed my hand against the door it moved smoothly aside to let me into a brightly lit hallway with the same white walls. I attempted to find a marker of some kind, a bearing of some sort, but the walls were all the same. Sighing to myself I picked a direction and begin walking.

As I turned down one of the many branching corridors, I noticed a girl and a man walking at the other end. The girl looked to be young, in her early teens, with short red hair and silver eyes. She wore a white gown like mine, though hers seemed to have red rose petals printed on it. She stopped as she noticed me, giving me a warm smile and a wave. The man, by contrast, was cold. He had messy black hair, and dark red eyes that sent shivers down my spine. He put a hand on the girl's shoulder and firmly moved her on. I wearily put up a hand to wave as they move out of sight.

As I continued to walk through the maze of hallways I heard sounds coming from a set of doors. The first door had a glowing red strip along it's frame. It didn't react to my hand; the same as most doors. The second door had a sign in several languages I didn't know. Placing my hand against this door caused it to recede. Inside the room stood a tall Asian man in green at what appeared to be several controls.  
"Watch yourself Miles." The man said to the console in front of him.  
"Is that it?" A voice asked, projecting loudly in the room, "I thought you said this would be difficult Ren."  
At that time the man, Ren, noticed me. He held a finger to his lips telling me to stay silent. I keep my mouth shut and moved closer. On the screen was the owner of the voice I heard earlier. He seemed to be running around a snowy environment. Every so often Ren would press some buttons on the control panel and give the man on the screen, Miles, some directions.  
Miles was amazing.  
He would take down wave after wave of enemies, his blue eyes never wavering from their target.  
"One minute until detonation." Ren says. Miles didn't flinch. A blip on the screen shows his location, the target point is close. Though with only thirty seconds remaining, the man was a goner.  
"Hurry up Miles." Ren says, his tone still flat. He must have had a lot of faith that thing would go successfully.  
"TEN, NINE, EIGHT..." The monitor says. I watched Miles slip down an unmarked corridor. This was bad.  
"SEVEN, SIX FIVE..."  
I watched him get farther and farther away. I clenched my fists and grit my teeth.  
"FOUR, THREE, TWO..."  
I close my eyes.  
"MISSION SUCCESSFUL." The monitor chimes and my eyes nearly pop out of their sockets.  
"WHAT!?" I exclaim.  
"Ren, who was that?" Milesw asked and the facility around him faded to grey.  
"Well it seems sleeping beauty here has finally woken up." Ren said.  
A moment later, the door opened and Miles walked in.


	7. Ozpin

"Where are you taking me?" I ask, careful of my tone. If there was one thing I had learned its that you should speak softly outside of the arena or you were sure to get hurt.

"You'll see soon enough."

Miles had peculiar eyes, stern and a strange shade of pink with purple flecks in them. Still, his words were soft. How cruel. It's not like I hadn't faced false kindness before, but it was never a pleasant experience.

"Calm down miss,you're safe here." Miles says in that same soft tone.

Cause I'd never heard that one before. There wasn't much I could do however. I had seen that man take out a dozen people in a matter of minutes,there was no way I'd be be able to escape.

After a little ways we came upon a set of large wooden doors on the door was another plaque with strange symbols.

"What does this mean?" I asked pointing at the plaque. Miles stared at me a second in honest confusion. In that moment I felt my guard drop, I was so shocked by it.

"It says Ozpin." He replied, and moved to open the door for me.

The room I stumble into is awe inspiring, if not for the multitude of bookshelves, then for said books that were littered everywhere. The ceiling seemed to be several stories tall, with walkways for ease of access. There weren't however any windows, and the only way out seemed to be through the door behind me.

"Good evening." A man said, causing me to jump. He chuckled and moved a pile of books off of a desk in the middle of the room. Taking a seat behind it he stared at me for a moment, his spectacled eyes gazing intently at me.

"You must have a lot of questions Miss Xiao Long, but first, did you sleep well?" The man asked. I nodded slowly, my guard back up. The man before me radiated a strong aura, he was not someone to mess with. Though Miles seemed to have no problem taking up a spot just behind him like a guard dog.

"You can relax miss Xiao Long. We are not your enemies." Ozpin said. "Rather, I'm here to offer you a choice. If you'd like, we could return you to your family..."

I started to laugh.

" My mother is dead and my father, well, if I ever see him again I'll kick his sorry ass into next week. He's the reason I'm in this mess to begin with." I practically shouted at Ozpin. The man never flinched.

"I see, well in that case I have another offer for you. It is my belief that you would be a perfect candidate for our specialist division here at Beacon, though the procedures are a bit less then pleasant."

"Procedures? And why would I work for you? For all I know you could be some sort of black-market dealers waiting to ship me out to the highest bidder." I say, cooling my temper slightly.

"Indeed, all I can ask is that you trust us, if you choose not to then we will gladly offer to help you re-adjust to society. The choice is yours." Ozpin said. Miles reached out a hand and touched him on the shoulder.

"Professor, is that wise?" He asked.

"I cannot ask someone to unwillingly bear the weight of the future on their shoulders, Miles."

"What do you mean by that?" I asked. The professor looked back to me with those grey spectacled eyes.

“You are aware that there are several corrupt forces at play in the world yes?” He asks me and I nod . “We here at Beacon look to prevent those same people from doing more harm, so far the odds have not been in our favour. That is where you come in. You would be the key to ending the rising darkness.” He never wavers as he speaks, so I can tell he believes every word he's saying. The question was did I.

“Can you give me some time to think on it?” I ask him.

"Of course. This is not, after all, a choice you should take lightly." Ozpin says. "For now, why don't you go have something to eat. I'm sure you could do with a good meal."

I am about to remark when my stomach starts growling, causing Ozpin to chuckle again.

"Then I shall see you later." He says. "Renn, would you be so kind as to show her the way?"

"Of course." Ren's monotonous voice comes from behind me making me jump. What was with people trying to surprise me?

This way Miss Xiao Long." Ren says as he opens the door.

"Yang is fine thanks." I reply and follow him out.

  
  


*****************

The cafeteria was as dead as the hallways, which only made me more anxious than I already was.

  
"Where is everyone?" I ask my silent escort.

  
"It's the middle of the night, I assume most of them are asleep." He says.

  
I hadn't thought about it before, but now I realised that I had not seen a single window.

 

"Why can't I look outside?" I ask Ren.

  
"We need to remain hidden from our enemies, so we are cautious even about small windows."

 

"I see."

  
"Not to worry though Miss... er, Yang. Soon we will get you settled in a place where you can lead a normal life and see the sky as much as you'd like." He continued.

 

 

Normal.

 

The word made me squirm.

 

From the time I was five I had to look after myself. I had never known my mother, and my father, well he left me to die in the streets. By some miracle I managed to survive out there until I was scooped up by those assholes from the "Dog" fights. And now here I am, safe, warm, fed, told I can live a normal life without worries, and all I can think is how not normal that would be.

 

"Hey Ren?"

 

"Yes?"

"If I were to stay here, would I still be able to see the sky?" I ask and immediately wince at the ridiculous question.

 

"I don't see why not. Why, are you thinking of taking up Ozpin's request?" He replies without blinking.

 

"Maybe." I say.

 

"Well if you do, just know that it won't be easy. Your life would constantly be in danger."

"So? That just means nothing will change." I scoff.

 

"No," He says, "that's when everything changes. You wont be fighting for yourself anymore. You will be fighting for millions of people, people who can't fight for

themselves."

  
"You're starting to sound like that old man."

 

"You will find many types of people here, but they all have one thing in common. They all want to end this war and make the world a safer place."

 

With that we both fell silent.

 

**************

"Have you made your decision already Miss Xiao Long?" Ozpin asks without looking up from his papers.

"Yes, I've decided to take your offer for a normal life." I reply.

"Understandable." Ozpin says, nodding. "Then I'll just get started on..."

 

"I wasn't done." I say cutting him off, finally getting him to look at me. "I will take your offer, after I have made sure that no one ever ends up like me again."

 

"I see. In that case it would be best if you follow me, there is a lot we must do."


	8. Rebirth

The hallways Ozpin led me down were much darker than the ones I'd been in earlier. They held a sharp smell that burned my nostrils.

"Welcome to our clinical ward. It's down here that we are preparing our newest recruits. Where we will be getting you ready." Ozpin says, gesturing to the windowed rooms.

"Getting me ready?" I ask.

"Yes, like our allies China, Germany, and Russia, we have been spearheading a new division to help us fight against the S.A.L.E.M. corporations. We strengthen ones body, making them capable of inhuman feats."

"What, like a superhero?"

"That is one way to look at it i suppose. Miss Xiao Long, we will be making you into an unstoppable force. A human super weapon." He replies.

"Wait, what?" I ask stopping in my tracks.

"Please Miss Xiao Long, you must understand that we have to do everything we can to win this war. To bring choice and prosperity back to the people of the world. To bring these criminals to justice." He pleads. I hesitate.

"How do I know your whatever it is wont kill me?" I ask.

"My doctors have assured me of a successful operation. A ninety nine percent chance of success."

"And the other one percent?"

"You will die, or be horribly disfigured." He replies solemnly. 

The words hang heavy in the air.

"Now you understand why I was hesitant asking you to join us." He starts again. "But I wouldn't have asked if I did not believe you would be fine." 

"Pardon me if I don't exactly trust you." I spit.

"Of course. You have been placed in unusual circumstances. I'd be more worried if you were completely okay with it. But please, I ask you with the utmost confidence in my team, and in you, please let us give you the tools to fight this fight." He says softly. I want to believe him, part of me does. 

I take a deep breath.

"If you kill me, I will personally haunt you till the end of your days." I say, and walk past him.

************

I lay on a metal table surrounded by a many people in blue gowns and face masks. Behind a glass wall I know Ozpin is watching me. It's unnerving and I almost call it off. 

Almost.

That part of me that trusts the man behind the glass curtain keeps me from saying anything.

The blue gowns walk around the room setting up machines of various sizes and terrifying shapes. One of them walks up to me and asks me to hold out my arm. I oblige and he wipes it with an alcohol swab before putting a needle into it. 

"This is an anaesthetic, it will keep you asleep while we operate." The man says. "When you wake up you will feel a bit disoriented, this is normal. We ask that you wait until one of the staff comes for you to get up. We'll see you in the morning then." He finished and returns to his instruments.

I lay my head on its side and look at the white wall.

And then I'm awake. My body is sore all over and my head feels dizzy.I try to get up, but end up falling to the ground. I feel like I do after a day of non-stop fights in the arena. I try to pull myself back up onto the bed, but fail miserably. In the end I barely manage to prop myself up against the side of it and stare at the door.

After a time, the door opens up and a woman walks in.

"Oh my, you're already awake I see." She says and comes over to help me back onto the bed. "Your system is still getting used to the augmentations so please take it easy."

By now I can turn my head without feeling sick, but I still can't seem to speak.

"Please look this way miss." The woman says and pulls out a small pen light. She quickly flashes it over my eyes and into my ears. 

"Open please." She says aiming the light at my mouth. I oblige and she nods and looks in. She then snaps her fingers by my ears startling me. In a moment I have both hands on her arms twisting them.

"Ahhh please let go! It hurts!" She screams and I immediately let go shocked at my own reaction. She winces in pain as she grasps her arms. 

"That's all for now I guess." She says through her gritted teeth and walks out of the room leaving me alone again.

**************

"Very good, it seems you've regained control over your reflexes." The man in white says after tapping my shin with a small mallet.

"Is that woman okay?" I ask him.

"She'll be fine." He says "Just some minor bruising. You startled her pretty good though."

"Sorry."

"Not to worry. Now, I want you stand and try walking to the door." He says and I nod.

The floor is cold beneath my feet, though I welcome it after the last time. I wobble over to the door, my knees still shaking slightly. If I had known how hard it would be just to walk after the surgery I might have reconsidered. At least that's what I tell myself.

"Very good." He says as I reach the door. "Do you need a rest?"

"No, I'm alright." I say. "Though I thought this was supposed to make me stronger not weaker."

"Haha, very true, but it still takes time for the augmentations to harmonize with your systems. Don't worry, soon you will be back to kickin' butt. I hear you are quite the fighter."

I nod.

"Do you want to try walking down the hall?" he asks.

I nod again.

************

"Welcome to our state of the art gym." Miles says to me over the din of many people working out in various areas. "For today you should probably stick to the running track." Miles continues pointing over to it. The track itself is deserted, probably everyone else was doing more interesting things. 

"If you need me I'll be sparring with some of the newer recruits." He says and leaves me alone. On my feet are a new set of sneakers. They felt weird, like I was standing on sponges. 

I sigh and start jogging along the track, attempting to take in everything the large space held. There seemed to be a plethora of different activities going on at any given time. There were climbing walls, obstacle courses, a running track, weights, a pool, you name it they had it and then some. I could see Miles over at the sparring area teaching one person how to get out of a headlock, or another how to use an opponents weight against them. All the while keeping a straight face, watching, looking for flaws.

"Ooof!" A man says as I accidentally walk into him. "Careful."

"Sorry." I say, and move to get back on the track.

"Wait, are you that new girl that everyone is talking about? The fighter from China?" He says and I turn back to face him. 

"Maybe." I say, and I see him grin.

"Why don't you and I go one on one. Let me see what you're made of." He says. 

I look over to see Miles still consumed in his lessons.

"Sure." I say and follow him to a sparring zone. He takes a stance on one side of it, ready to fight.

"First one on the ground loses. Do you want to call?" I stand at the other end and motion for him to start it. "Alright... Begin!" He calls, and I feel my body move before I do. In a moment I have him on his back pinned with one hand.

"Whoa whoa, you win." He says the air knocked out of him. I help him back up on his feet.

"Man, they weren't kidding about you. Only other person here to pin me that fast is Miles himself. Ain't that right Miles." 

I spin around to see Miles right behind me.

"I thought I told you to stick to the track for today. You're still recovering." He says, his voice stern.

"I'm sorry. I felt fine though. Better than fine." I say guiltily. He sighs.

"If you are feeling good enough to fight, then the augmentations should be almost completely integrated into your body." He says. "All the more reason to be careful, you could seriously hurt someone without knowing your limits." He motions for me to follow him. "Allow me to be your opponent and we'll see what you are capable of."

I follow him and get ready at the end of the sparring zone. The man from before stands at the edge of the zone and lets us know that the same rules as before were in effect.

"READY...BEGIN!"

Once again my body moves almost of its own accord and makes to grab Miles. Only this time I feel something at my wrist. Miles has it in his hand and suddenly the ground is out from under me. And then its there again at my back. Normally I'd expect the wind to be knocked out of me, but this time there is nothing and I quickly roll to my feet.

"You're fast, i'll give you that much." Miles says standing there causally. "Pretty strong too, but you're predictable."

He closes his eyes and takes a deep breath.

"Try again."


	9. AURA

The wind off Miles kick rushes past my head.  
I twist, sensing the coming feint and pull in closer to him.  
I ready a punch and wait with a feint of my own.  
The feint takes, and  
I find myself on the ground again.

"Well I suppose that was a bit better, at least you saw through the first feint." Miles says and lifts his foot off my back. "You're too one track minded. I can read all your attacks like a book. You're holding your arms too high and..."  
Miles voice drags on as I groan and roll into a resting position. We had been at this for days. I would spend the first few hours of the morning taking down anyone and everyone who entered the ring with me, and then Miles would show up, spar a couple rounds and then give me a long lecture of every little thing I did wrong.

"Clearly you aren't even listening to me anymore. I guess we are done here then." Miles says breaking me out of my thoughts. "Eat and come back here, we'll train more when you're less distractible." He says and walks off. 

***************

RAHHH!  
I scream and punch the change room wall. I hear the tiles crack under my fist and notice the trail of blood start down the wall. I barely even feel the shards that stick out of my knuckles. All I can feel is the frustration at losing again. I never lost, it was my thing. This place was making me slower. Complacent. I didn't want to go back to that wretched place, but at least there I was queen.

I take a deep breath.

That thinking wasn't going to get me anywhere. At least here I wasn't constantly fearing that I would die of starvation or disease. Still, I had to do something.  
I sat down and started pulling the tile shards from my fist. I had done this enough times before that it didn't sting pulling them out anymore, still the sight of my own blood never left a good taste in my mouth.  
After pulling out the last shard I let my hands drop to the side and I close my eyes. It felt good to rest against the cold floor, it reminded me of the my cell, where the cool earth was the only comfort. As I lay there I forgot the burning cuts in my hand and the painful spite I felt towards Miles.

"Ugh what the hell? What a mess!" A pair of white boots say as they click into the room. "You there Yellow, did you do this?" A girl in an all white outfit says waving around her fencing sword.  
"Yang."  
"Entschuldigen sie?"  
"My name is Yang."  
"Ah yes that's lovely, so did you do this or not?"  
I raise my fist at her.  
"So not then. Do you know who did?" She asks and I knit my brow. I look at my hand and am shocked to find no open wounds. Not even a scar.  
"Wait, how is that possible?" I mutter to myself poking at my hand to make sure I'm not hallucinating.  
"Hello! I'm waiting for an answer." She continues but I brush her off as I walk out of the change room. 

*************

“What is this?” I ask Ozpin and hold up my unscarred hand.

“Ahh I see, then you are indeed the one who has miss Schnee in a fit.” He says before sipping from his mug of coffee. “Its also nice to see the AURA system is fully functional.”

“Aura?” I ask.

“Yes of course. AURA is the Automatic Unit Repair Algorithm that is programmed into the nanobots we placed within your body. They repair any damage you may take in the field.” He says. “That does not, however, mean you cannot be hurt. The nanobots can only repair so much so quickly. So please continue to use caution when fighting.” 

I look again at my hands before i ask the real question.

“Just what did you do to me?”

Ozpin lets out a sigh.

“Lets save that for another time shall we? For now I would like your help with something.” He says and places the papers he had been holding onto the desk in front of me.

At first glance the letters on the page make no sense to me. But quickly they shift to form the Chinese characters I’m used to.

“Wait how did that...?”

“You should be able to understand and speak multiple languages now, as You have been doing for the past few weeks. Another thing you should know, we have sped up your processing speed a fair deal so it should be near instantaneous translation.”

“Wait, am I not speaking Mandarin right now?” I ask, realizing the implications of what he was telling me. 

“Perfect German I’m afraid.” Ozpin says and takes another sip from his mug. “Now if you’d please look over the papers? My team would like to get started on your arsenal.”

“Excuse me?” 

“My dear you didn’t expect us to send you into the field without some way to defend yourself did you?” He says to me. “They are looking to make something custom fit to you. They asked me to get your opinion on the design. Maybe something that you are comfortable with.”

I slump into a chair across from him. I had never fired a weapon let alone held one. I had always relied on my fists to solve conflicts. I rub my hands around my wrists where my shackles used to be. Something I used to do when I had to think about things, the pain from the sharp metal helped me focus. The scars from them were gone now, but the habit wasn’t.

"What about some kind of boxing glove?" I ask. Maybe I could still use my fists to solve my problems after all.

"Hmm, I would have to decline that proposal. While I understand you are quite good in a one on one fight it simply lacks the range to make it feasible." Ozpin says quickly as if anticipating the the answer to begin with. "That said, I came up with a design that may be appropriate for both close and far range combat that may suit your fancy." He continues and slides one more sheet of paper towards me. On it is a schematic for a set of gauntlets with shotgun barrels embedded in them. To my further amazement it seemed they could collapse down to a more convenient size, forming what was essentially two bracelets.  
"These look amazing." I say.  
"I though so." he says, that stupid smug look on his face. "They still need a name though."  
"A name?"

"Of course. A unique weapon deserves a unique name."

"How about Ember Celica?" I say, recalling the name of a comic book hero I saw when I still roamed the streets of Shanghai. 

"Heavens Fire? Not bad at all."


End file.
